From the Tribune:

CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP

Governor's aide was on disputed fund trip
2 others on flight faced corruption charges

By John Chase and Crystal Yednak
Tribune staff reporters
Published October 26, 2006

Aides to Gov. Rod Blagojevich confirmed Wednesday for the first time that one of his top advisers, Christopher Kelly, accompanied the governor on a controversial 2003 fundraising trip with two political insiders who later faced corruption charges.

The disclosure by the governor's campaign came hours after Blagojevich vehemently denied Republican accusations that another of his top fundraisers, recently indicted Wilmette businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko, was on the trip.

Blagojevich campaign spokesman Doug Scofield said Kelly was part of the entourage that flew on a private jet paid for by longtime Republican insider Stuart Levine. Joseph Cari, a former finance director for the national Democratic Party, also was on the flight, representing a company sponsoring the fundraiser.

Blagojevich's Republican opponent, Judy Baar Topinka, called on the governor Wednesday to "fully detail what he discussed with Stuart Levine while they were traveling together to New York for fundraising meetings aboard a cushy corporate jet" between Chicago and Teterboro, N.J.

In a September 2005 plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Cari said he was told that state pension fund business was steered to firms that made campaign donations under the direction of a high-ranking public official. The unnamed person was described in the plea agreement only as "Public Official A." Blagojevich has denied being that public official.

Federal prosecutors have said Levine is expected to plead guilty Friday to charges he sought kickbacks while serving on two state boards. Prosecutors have indicted Rezko as an alleged co-schemer with Levine.

Kelly and the governor have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Blagojevich characterized talk on the jet as "general" and "light" conversations about politics and said it was "ridiculous" to ask if he spoke about the scheme that resulted in Cari's conviction and Levine's expected plea.

"Of course not. That's ridiculous," he said when asked if he spoke with Levine about the fundraising scheme that's been alleged in federal court. "Of course not. Absolutely not. Of course not. Ridiculous."

Kelly's participation in the fundraising trip was disclosed by Blagojevich's campaign after Topinka's campaign released what it claimed was a schedule for the governor for Oct. 29, 2003, that showed Blagojevich traveled on the jet with Levine, Cari, Blagojevich's deputy governor, Bradley Tusk, and Rezko.

Blagojevich called the allegation that Rezko was aboard the jet "factually inaccurate." Later, his campaign said Kelly was aboard the plane.

Blagojevich recalled that Levine spilled coffee on him on the flight to New York. Cari, he said, regaled those aboard with stories about former Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore and former First Lady Hillary Clinton just hours before the fundraiser at the Harvard Club.

Topinka's camp is trying to link Blagojevich to Levine, whom the governor reappointed to the state Teachers' Retirement System and Illinois Health Facilities Planning Boards.

But Blagojevich repeatedly has pointed out that Levine is a longtime Republican insider who he reappointed to the boards as a sign of good faith to those across the aisle. On Wednesday, the governor's campaign released a 1998 letter from former GOP Gov. Jim Edgar that praised Levine for his service on the Health Facilities Planning Board.

Edgar is among Topinka's bigger supporters and is featured in her latest TV campaign ad.

"We had every reason to think, based on the glowing recommendation from Gov. Edgar ... [and others], that he was a responsible and qualified person to serve on those boards," Blagojevich said. "Had [Edgar] told us [Levine] was involved in a criminal conspiracy, I'll be very clear here, we'd have gone in a different direction."

But Topinka said the governor wasn't accepting responsibility for problems in his administration.

"Rod Blagojevich should stop blaming others for the corruption that has occurred on his watch," she said.

Meanwhile, in the race for state comptroller, the candidates disagreed about whether state funds should be used for embryonic stem cell research.

During a debate sponsored by the City Club of Chicago, incumbent Democrat Dan Hynes, who is seeking his third term, said he would continue to push for state funding for embryonic stem cell research.

"I believe the state has an obligation to fill the void the federal government has created because of George Bush," he said.

State Sen. Carole Pankau (R-Itasca), a 14-year lawmaker, said she supports stem cell research--but not embryonic stem cell research.

Pankau said her daughter donated umbilical cord stem cells for research after giving birth last year. "Those stem cells can be used for wonderful research," she said.

Also on Wednesday, campaign disclosure reports showed Blagojevich getting $100,000 from Telephone USA Investments, a Tinley Park firm headed by Jospeh Stroud, who also founded WJYS-TV.

The reports also showed Democratic Cook County Board candidate Todd Stroger getting a $50,000 donation from the state Democratic Party, headed by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago). Two firms also donated $71,300 worth of direct mail and campaign strategy.